Assistant Instructors

Karro Jones has been practicing Ba Gua Zhang and San Huang Pao Chui with Flying Tortise academy since early 2016. While this is the first kung fu school Karro has studied at, he is excited to step into instructing, is committed to deepening his practice with fellow students and the Flying Tortoise family, and is honored to be carrying on the lineages taught here.

Lake Strongheart McTighe has been practicing Chinese martial arts for twelve years. She started her training in Yi-Chuan, Bagua, Xing Yi Quan, Qi-Gong and Tai Chi Quan with Sifu Gregory Fong. She studied for several years with David Tircuit, and began training with Joseph Haber at Flying Tortoise in 2016. When she is not practicng martial arts, Lake works as an urban and regional planner.

Craig Moro has kept one foot in martial arts—and two feet whenever possible!—since 1977. Beginning with Taekwondo, he later studied Yang-style Tai Chi with Master George Hu and with Peter Ralston, who also introduced him to BaGua Zhang. He has continued to study BaGua intermittently whenever his moves around the U.S. and overseas have put him in proximity to good instruction. He has been a student at Flying Tortoise since December of 2017 and plans to stay as long as he can walk around a circle. Craig also serves as minister to Wy’east Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

Andrea Thompson became interested in BaGuaZhang in the early 2000's after reading about the practice of circle walking and its related energetic dynamics in a book. At the time, she couldn't find anyone in the Portland area who taught this form. It wasn't until 2016 when she decided to search again and found Flying Tortoise. Studying with Josef has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has opened Andrea up to various styles like her current favorite, Da Bei Chuan. Whether traveling abroad or here at home, Andrea plans to stick with these beautiful and challenging forms as a life-long practice.